U6-U7-U8-U9-U10 Soccer Drills

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INDIVIDUAL & 1v1 SOCCER DRILLS v1.7

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U6-U7-U8 Individual & 1v1 Soccer Drill:

This soccer drill will be run at center field around the outside of the circle. If you do not have access to the center of a field then create a large circle with cones. If your team consists of 10 players or less then have them do the following. Dribble around the outside of the circle in the same direction. When you blow the whistle have each player dribble directly across the circle to the other side. The purpose of this soccer drill is to avoid hitting another player or their soccer ball. In order to do this the players are going to need to learn to dribble the soccer ball with their head up, looking at where they are going. I like to run this soccer drill several time, alternating how the players dribble. For example, the first time have them use only their right food, second time their left foot, third time the outside of their foot, or inside...so on and so on. Alter as you see fit, but emphasize keeping their head up and the ball close to them. They should also be moving at a pace, not walking, not running but somewhere in between. If your group is larger that 10 players then number them 1 & 2 and then call out the number and only that group dribbles across the circle. Learning to dribble with their head up will play a big role in the future development of the player. It provides field vision for passing, dribbling, putting moves and much more.

U6-U7-U8 Individual & 1v1 Soccer Drill:

This soccer drill is designed to have the players dribble the ball while looking up. They should also focus on keeping the ball close to them while moving quickly. Have the players line up on a side line, each with a ball and facing towards the other side line. They should have at least 7 yards between them so they do not run into each other. As the coach you will be about 30 yards in front of them and will be required to run backwards towards the other sideline. Have the players begin dribbling at a good pace while keeping the ball close. You will raise your hand and the players will need to repeat the number of fingers you are holding up. If you see players dribbling and the ball getting too far in front of them then yell "FREEZE" and the ball will roll away from them. They should be able to stop the ball when you say freeze. If they can not stop the ball, simply point out that if the ball is getting away from you then you do not have control which increases the chances of it being taken from you. Continue all the way to the other side line and have them turn around, where your assistant will be waiting to do the same thing the other way. I like to run this soccer drill several times. Once they get the concept of control and freeze, tell them you are going to call out a particular type of move, like a dip or cut (see other drills for examples), at which time you will want them to do the move, but also that they need to keep their head up to call out the number of fingers you are holding up. Point out that the reason you want them to have control is because without control of the ball it would be impossible to attempt a move.

U9-U10 Individual & 1v1 Soccer Drill:

This is a 1v1 soccer drill designed to work on both offense and defense, while promoting aggressiveness. Set up a goal with cones. The goal should be about 5 yards wide. Players should form two lines about 30 or 40 yards from the goal. The lines should be facing the goal and roughly 5 yards from each other. Please note, as a coach you are going to want evaluate your players by skill level and have them match up against a player of similar skill. If you have a large group then create two sets of goals so you can have more players going at one time. One player will start with the ball (designate right or left) and they will be the offensive player, the second player will be the defensive player. The goal of this soccer drill is to have the player dribble and score, while the other player tries to take the ball. If the defensive player does get the ball then he/she then becomes the offensive player and tries to score, while the other player becomes defensive. This soccer drill could play out over an extended time, but I encourage you to let it go until they score or it goes out of bounce. Have the players switch lines when they return. Emphasize to the players that this is practice and they should be working on individual moves, shielding the ball with their body (see other drills) and defensive pressure. They have nothing to lose...it is practice.

Juggling Soccer Drills - Fun Soccer

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JUGGLING SOCCER DRILLS v1.6

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U7-U8-U9 Soccer Juggling Drill:

Juggling is an under-rated soccer skill in my opinion. It something the kids can do at practice, on their own at home or school and even in groups. Juggling a soccer ball will add soccer touch, soccer coordination, ball control and awareness of the soccer ball in relation to a players body. As a coach, introducing this early to a player is fun because you will be the first to see a difference on the feel in terms touch and control.

To teach the basics there are a few key points to communicate to the group.

1. The goal of control and touch, which means we are not trying to kick or hit the ball high into the air because this is the opposite of control. We want the soccer ball to not touch the ground while the player continues to hit in the air in a controlled manner.

2. Any part of the players body can be used except the hands. Feet, thighs, head and even the chest can be used.

3. Let the players know it is not easy and takes time. Set a base number at first (2, 3 or 4). Each player will be different.

4. Let the players know there is going to be a challenge as the year goes on. Rewards for achievements. These goals will need to be set by you as the coach and will vary based on the age and skill of the kids. For example, demonstrating 5 juggles the player gets a sticker on their bag, 10 a pin, 15 a red marble and so on. I have seen coaches use different colored beads tied to the players bag to indicate how many juggles have been achieved. The players will start to take pride in this and practice on their own. You can also break this up into number of juggles by feet only, head or thigh only. You will be surprised how quickly the number will start to increase, and you will also quickly be able to tell which players that are practicing on their own. Keep pushing them and challenging them. Have an ultimate reward of a metal or trophy. You will see a difference on the field.

INDIVIDUAL SOCCER JUGGLING DRILL

Spread the team out and have them start using their thigh. Help them and show them that they do not want the ball to go above their eyes. How many can they do. Maybe write it down and see if they beat it next practice. Move to feet only. This will be a little tougher. They should try to keep the ball below their belly button, but explain if for some reason it does go higher then use the upper thigh to regain control to drop it back down to their feet. Again, how many, challenge them to get to five or higher. After you this, explain why juggling is important and that you will be implementing a rewards program. This soccer drill will teach valuable basics that will serve the player well throughout their soccer playing days. Professional players still juggle today. Touch and control are a huge part of the game so practice as much as you can.

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U9-U10-U11 Soccer Juggling Drill:

Pair players up and have them juggle as a team. They should be using their head in this drill, as well as feet, thighs and chest. Make a competition of it. A single player should try to get it back to the other player in one touch, but realistically this sometimes can not happen so allow each player touch it twice before passing, but only one time. If a 2nd time occurs then the count stops. This soccer drill will really start to teach control because they are not just trying to place the ball with touch to themselves, but place it another player. Point out good spots to set your partner up, like the the thigh or head. If the two touch rule is too much, then remove it. This should be fun.

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U11-U12-U13 PLUS Soccer Juggling Drill:

This is a tough one. Find a tennis court you can use and tell the player to bring their turf shoes because they are going to play soccer volleyball. This drill is good on a hot day when you want to limit running and have some fun. Split the team up into two teams, equally. Note: I have seen this played with as little as one person on each team, so the number really should not matter, but remember to adjust the size of the court based on the number of players.

This is just like volleyball. Serve by dropping the ball to a players foot and kicking it over the net. Each player can only touch the ball one time and the goal is to get it back over to the other side without it hitting the ground. Players can use anything but their hands. I also run a variation of this soccer drill where the ball can bounce one time.

Let the players know they should try to score by setting up their team mates in a way they can drive the ball down to the ground. A good example might be a header (see heading drills) driving the ball down. They should also look to place the ball with touch to an open space.